NASA targets April 1 to launch astronauts around the moon
By Denise Chow
Published on March 12, 2026.
NASA plans to launch four astronauts around the moon by April 1, with the goal of completing remaining work on the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on the same day. The mission, named Artemis II, will be the first time the rocket and spacecraft will carry people. The launch date will depend on remaining work completed on the rocket while it is in the hangar and subsequent work at the launch pad. The decision was made after a two-day flight readiness review, which is used to formally certify a rocket or spacecraft for flight. The rocket has been in its hangar for repairs since February 25, following a key fueling test where engineers discovered a blockage in the flow of helium to part of the rocket's upper stage.
Read Original Article